Two WRT54Gs: Best DDWRT firmware?

I have a v2.2 and a v3 WRT54G. The two are across the street from eachother, one at my house and one at my bro's house. I know the signal can reach, but it is not strong enough to be able to walk to the far side of the house with my laptop. I want to be able to access internet and shared files from both routers via both wireless and wired. I tried DD-WRT #22 (talisman) firmware on both routers using info from forums, but can not seem to get it to work. I will admit advanced networking is not my forte.

Which firmware will be best for what I am trying to do, and which setup will be best for what I want to do? I dont know if talisman's firmware would be easiest for me, or if there is something else out there. Like do I want WDS, or one set up as AP and one as a Client? I hope someone can help me out, because this has consumed more time than it should have...lol...